Newtown reacts after winning the CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. This is the first time in the school's history that it has won this event.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's Andy Hubina, left, and teammate Thomas Long, reacts after the official word that the team has won the CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. This is the first time in the school's history that it has won this event.

Newtown fans react as Anthony Falbo wrestles against Trumbull's Steve Briganti, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's Anthony Falbo wrestles against Trumbull's Steve Briganti, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.

Trumbull Head Coach Nicholas Filippakis, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's James Leuci, right, wrestles against Ridgefield's Kevin Side, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's James Leuci, top, wrestles against Ridgefield's Kevin Side, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's Anthony Falbo, right, wrestles against Trumbull's Steve Briganti, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's Anthony Falbo beats Trumbull's Steve Briganti, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's James Leuci, top, wrestles against Ridgefield's Kevin Side, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's James Leuci, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.

Newtown's James Leuci, top, wrestles against Ridgefield's Kevin Side, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

Newtown's Edward Lovely, top, wrestles against Danbury's Jeremy Fields, during CIAC Class LL Wrestling Championship action at Trumbull High School on Saturday February 22, 2014. Newtown took home the championship trophy for the first time in its history.
Photo: Christian Abraham

TRUMBULL -- A magical wrestling season became an historic one on Saturday night at Trumbull High, as emerging power Newtown High School captured its first-ever state title, winning the Class LL crown by a mere six points.

The Nighthawks have been steadily climbing for several years now, bolstered by a solid feeder program in town. All that climbing finally paid off, as the Nighthawks finally reached the top.

"Just to see how these guys started the season, they gelled, they worked together as a unit all year, and everybody's effort contributed to this win," Newtown coach Chris Bray said. "We feel like a family and a team. It's not like a bunch of individuals. Everybody's effort counts in this, and these guys work together really well.

"We're just ecstatic right now."

Newtown had three wrestlers advance to the finals: Edward Lovely at 113 pounds, James Leuci at 132 and Anthony Falbo at 152. Leuci and Falbo both won by decision to take first place, while Lovely lost by decision to take second.

"It just shows, when team chemistry works, what you can achieve," Leuci said.

And the Nighthawks (213) needed every point they could muster, as Xavier finished second only six points behind.

"We all wrestled our best, and everybody came out and did their job," Falbo said.

Also for Newtown, Greg LaRussa won a thrilling 9-7 decision in the 182-pound consolation final to place third, Matt Gonzalez won a 9-1 major decision in the 126-pound consolation final to place third, Luca Crudo (120) and Ryan Wagner (285) placed fourth, Andy Hubina (195) placed fifth and Forrest Speed (170) finished sixth.

LaRussa scored a two-point reversal with three seconds remaining and the score tied to win in thrilling fashion.

"You can pick out plenty of individual efforts throughout the course of the day," Bray said, pointing also to Hubina's pin in the match for fifth place. "These guys have a ton of heart. What we might lack in skill, we more than make up for in heart."

Defending champion Danbury took third with 200.5 points. The Hatters placed five wrestlers in the finals, and all five took home titles. Paulo Freitas (106), Jeremy Fields (113), Chris Bryant (120) and Juan Garcia (170) all won by decision and Kevin Jack (126) won by major decision.

The Hatters will now look to defend their title at the State Open championships next week at Hillhouse.

"We had five champs, more champs than anybody, and next week is a new week," Danbury coach Ricky Shook. "If we wrestle good next week, we'll see what happens."

For fifth-place Trumbull, Connor Sollenberger (195), Cross Cannone (126) and Steve Briganti (152) all reached the finals and placed second, Kevin Cecio took third at 132 with a pin in the consolation final, Andrew Marino won by pin in the 220-pound consolation final to place third and Joseph Ryan (160) placed fourth.

For seventh-place Shelton, Nicolas Pogacsas won by pin in the consolation final to take third at 145, Nico Distassio (113), Kyle McGinniss (120) and Liam Cummings (170) placed fifth and Alex Merdinger (195) took sixth.

For 10th-place Westhill, Yovanny Goris won the 160-pound consolation final by decision to take third, Martin Chobanyan won a decision in the 170-pound consolation final to place third, Matthew Conte (120) and Krzysztof Mazur (145) finished sixth.

For 13th-place Amity, Nikolas Photos won by decision in the 285-pound final to place third and Jesse Cala (126) placed fourth.

Ridgefield's Kevin Side reached the finals and placed second at 132, while McMahon's Justis Lewis (220) placed fourth.

Fairfield Prep's Nicholas Crowle won the 285-pound final with a pin just 16 seconds into the second period. Crowle, a senior who will be playing football at Yale in the fall, was on the Jesuits football team which was defeated in the Class LL state final this past fall.

"It feels awesome," Crowle said. "I don't really have good words to describe what it feels like. I certainly know what it feels like to lose one -- I lost one in the fall for football -- but it feels awesome. That's the only way I can sum it up."